


Your Broken Mind is Mine

by Felicity_The_Cat



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1950s, Angst, F/M, Forced Marriage, Friendship, Heavy Angst, Imaginary Friends, Insanity, Period-Typical Sexism, Physical Abuse, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24243229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felicity_The_Cat/pseuds/Felicity_The_Cat
Summary: Vanny has always had a friend to turn to for comfort all of her life, even though nobody else could see him. William was wonderful company, even if she had to keep their friendship confined to hushed whispers to avoid appearing crazy. The rabbit was a pleasant distraction from her less than desirable marriage and lingering depression, but Luis is determined to fix his wife. There's an answer for everything, even emotions.
Relationships: Glitchtrap & Reluctant Follower (Five Nights at Freddy's), Glitchtrap/Reluctant Follower (Five Nights at Freddy's), Luis Cabrera & Reluctant Follower (Five Nights at Freddy's), Luis Cabrera/Ness, Luis Cabrera/Reluctant Follower, William Afton | Dave Miller/Reluctant Follower
Kudos: 49





	Your Broken Mind is Mine

“Vannessa, do you know why you’re here?” The doctor asked. His white coat was spotless; a blinding white made of cotton. It was spotless, unlike  _ her  _ record and stained clothes they had confiscated from her. She hated this office, she despised this doctor, and she wanted to go home. Vanny shifted in her seat, narrowing her eyes at the man before her.

“Because I defended myself.” She spat with venom in her voice. The doctor shook his head, clearly disappointed and upset.

“Vanessa, I’ve known Luis my entire life. He’s never shown any aggression towards anyone, even when they were trying to stir up trouble.” Vanny gripped at her dress with a shudder. 

“He came at me,” she insisted as she trembled. “He was gonna bloody my face again!”

The doctor showed no concern for the woman and shook his head with another annoyed sigh.

“You realize the more you argue, the worse this is going to be for you, don’t you?” 

The man asked in a flat tone. He’d probably had this conversation with women before, Vanny realized with a shudder. He had gone cold to situations like these; Vanny was practically Luis’ property, and her words meant very little.

“You can’t force me into nothin’,” She began as her lip quivered.

“This ain’t right, and I ain’t sick.” The woman argued. Despite the physical evidence on her face, her neglect was being ignored, and here she was, being forced to speak to the same doctor who had informed her that her husband had done no wrongs every time she came in.

It had gotten old a long time ago, and Vanny had tired of defending herself, but she refused to accept their lies that her husband was a gentle soul. A gentle soul wouldn’t beat a woman for simply being upset. She wasn’t allowed the luxury of emotions, and Luis had made that abundantly clear. “You can go home, but we expect you back here tomorrow morning.” The doctor huffed as he turned away from the battered woman. Vanny sucked in a deep breath and smiled to herself. It wasn’t a happy smile, but as tears began gathering in her eyes, she hurriedly wiped them away. Her tears had caused her more trouble than her petty emotions were worth. She gave no thanks to the doctor as she grabbed her purse, slipped off of the examination table, and began walking out with shaky hands. The walk home would be short, but she didn’t want to go back to that hell. It was just four walls and a roof; four walls that hid her bruises and beatings.

As she stepped outside of the clinic, Vanny took in a deep breath of the humid air. The sky was dark with the promise of approaching storms, and as she reached into her purse with unsteady hands, a soothing voice spoke up directly beside her.

“Not going to share?” The creature asked with a playful little hum. Vanny didn’t need to turn and seek out the source of the voice; she knew who it was, and as she lit her cigarette and took a drag, her trembling worsened.

“I would if I could.” She answered in a hushed whisper. Nobody needed to catch her speaking to nothing again. The figure at her side grinned at her with a soft gaze. Sometimes she felt he was her only friend, even if he probably wasn’t real. Even after all of these years, Vanny wasn’t exactly sure  _ what  _ he was. A hallucination? A ghost? It didn’t really matter. He was kind, and he cared for her. He was a friend, and he was the only one she had.

“How very thoughtful of you, Ness.” The rabbit hummed with a wiggle of his nose. 

The rabbit walked beside her without the usual bounce in his step. It was clear that he was upset, but Vanny didn’t need to question why. It was a pretty shitty situation all around.

She had to deal with her unhealthy, unhappy marriage, and the rabbit was forced to standby, watching her endure constant abuse that he couldn’t put a stop to. He had very little power over this world, and he wasn’t able to interact with it very well. There was nothing he could do to help her. Being there for her in the aftermath was the best he could do, and he wasn’t leaving her.

“That’s alright, I always preferred cigars anyway,” With a wave of his fingers, a thick cigar materialized into his hand. It wasn’t physical, but neither was he. Vanny gave the rabbit a soft smile and took another drag from her cigarette, keeping her eyes downcast as she watched her red heels collect mud from the road. 

“Why do you keep going back there?” The rabbit asked as his cigar lit itself, and it was hastily brought to his lips. He took a deep breath, letting the poison fill his lungs.

Vanny was silent for a while as they continued walking, avoiding puddles to keep her precious little shoes as clean as possible. “I  _ am  _ sad a lot, Will,” Vanny muttered. “I know what Luis does ain’t right, but I… I do want to be happy, you know?”

The rabbit looked over at his smaller companion with a contemplative look.

“Then run away.” He said bluntly. Vanny looked up at him with wide eyes, clearly taken back by the prospect. It was evident by his expression that he was being completely serious, but the idea of running away made the woman shudder.

“I have nowhere to go.” She replied in a soft voice. The rabbit pulled the cigar from his mouth and huffed, letting a purple smoke roll out of his lungs as he did so.

“Find somewhere. Your folks still have that little farmhouse, don’t they?”

“I… I’m not actually sure,” Vanny admitted sheepishly. William turned to her with a sympathetic look in his purple eyes. His ears lowered, a telltale sign of his distress.

“Well, I don’t trust that Doctor.” William huffed as his cigar evaporated into nothingness.

“I’m sure he means well…” Vanny began with a shrug. “I just don’t know why he doesn’t take me seriously.” William glanced over at Vanny and raised his eyebrows.

“You know exactly why,” he growled. “You’re the woman. You’re fucking property in most people’s eyes, Vanessa. If you run away, you could be free.”

“Is being free worth starving or freezing to death?” She questioned with a half-hearted glare at him. The woman wasn’t angry at him, but she was definitely unhappy with the situation at hand.

By now, she had expected to be  _ happily _ married with two or three kids running about, a cat to call her own, and a nice little flower garden to tend to.

Only one of those dreams were a reality; Constance was a wonderful cat…

Flowers were a waste of time, Luis had screamed as he trampled her petunias. 

She needed to focus on cleaning the house…

William noticed that Vanny’s expression was somehow even sadder now, so he moved a little closer to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but he knew that she couldn’t feel a thing. She appreciated the gesture, though, and relaxed a little as they approached the little house she called hell.

“Don’t vanish tonight.” She pleaded in a soft voice. “Please don’t leave me.”

“Alright…” The rabbit nodded. Vanny stopped dead in her tracks, freezing up in the middle of the street. She turned to face the rabbit with desperation in her eyes.

“Please.” She whined as her lip quivered and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

William blinked in surprise and nodded with a sad expression. “I’ll stay, Vanny. I promise.” 

Vanny hesitated but gave him a little nod before continuing on to her yard, gaze downward and spirits low.

Luis was at work, thankfully, so Vanny was free to curl up on the couch, carefree and at ease.

Her body ached and as the little jingle of Constance’s bell grew louder, her worries began to melt away as the little grey tabby jumped into her lap. He wasn’t allowed on the furniture with Luis around, but Luis  _ wasn’t  _ around. William lingered nearby, sitting in a chair next to the couch. He was silent, watching as Vanny stroked her cat with tired eyes. Constance purred loudly, rubbing all over the woman cheerfully. He didn’t see her as a sad, broken person.

He saw someone that loved and cared for him.

William didn’t say much, but he stayed right by Vanny’s side for the rest of the night.

* * *

Vanny shifted on the table, watching as the doctors moved about around her. William stood nearby, unseen by everyone but Ness. He looked worried but hopeful as the men began to gather their tools together. Vanny was strapped to the table, eyes wide as her heart raced wildly in her chest. She had no idea what was happening. Luis had told her that they were going to help her, but he didn’t elaborate whatsoever. The doctors had assured her that it wasn’t electrotherapy, and that had relieved her somewhat. She had gone through a few treatments in the past, but it seemed that they weren’t working anymore. There was a new solution to her sadness, she had been told, and she didn’t have much choice in the matter. She wanted to get better, but she was wary of the solution that the doctors had in mind. They answered none of her questions, but when a familiar machine came into sight, Vanny began struggling on the table.

“We just need you to lay still, Vanessa,” One of the doctors began as they started to wrap that horrid thing around her head. William walked forward in alarm, but he wasn’t physical; he could do nothing. The doctors phased right through him, and as he reached Vanny’s side, she calmed herself a little.

“We just need to put you to sleep for a moment, sweetheart,” The doctor was muttering as he messed with some dials on the dreaded machine she despised.

Vanny screamed and writhed on the table, kicking her feet despite the restraints keeping her pinned in place. “It will be quick and pain-free, dear.” The man continued as they readied the machine. Vanny looked to William with panic in her eyes, and the rabbit gave a pathetic little look of concern. “You’ll be fine,” He tried to convince her despite the look of grief and terror on his face. “Deep breaths, think of your tulips. Constance. He’s going to be at home waiting for you. We’ll be home soon, okay? It’ll be over soon, deep breaths, Vanny. Steady breaths,”

Vanny closed her eyes and focused on the rabbit’s voice, attempting to calm her breathing.

The machine was turned on, and Vanny lunged up off the table as much as she could manage, twitching and shaking as the machine did its job.

William stood in silence, watching as she was subjected to the shocks yet again. This would hopefully be the last time, though. Whatever procedure they were doing would help her be a bit happier, according to what he had heard. There would be no more electrotherapy, no more quiet nights of sobbing out on the porch. Maybe Luis would finally be satisfied… Maybe he would treat her with some semblance of respect and decency, but William knew just as well as Vanny did that Luis would never truly care for her. Vanessa’s father knew how horrible Luis was before he married his eldest daughter off, but he didn’t seem to care. William despised men; he hated them for how they treated Vanny, and despite the fact that he had seen kind men, he had grown to loathe them all. Vanny eventually stilled, unconscious, and ready for whatever horrors the doctors had prepared for her. William could do nothing, so he gradually backed away as he watched the operation. His ears were lowered, and he was tense. He was afraid, in reality, but he hoped that Vanny hadn’t been able to notice it. This was already stressful for her, and he wanted this to go as smoothly as possible. Unlike Luis, he cared for her feelings.

Two long, horrid looking objects were retrieved from a nearby table, and William watched in complete horror as they were brought to Vanny’s face. Her eyelids were lifted up, and William forced himself to turn away as they were slid under them. He had no idea what they were doing, but he could no longer watch. He paced over to a corner, silent as the voices of the doctors kept the silence at bay. He refused to watch; he couldn’t force himself to watch. He had seen Vanny get hurt all her life, from scraped knees as a child to Luis’s rage now. This, however, was even more disturbing. He felt sick, and he couldn’t bear to stand by and do nothing as they carried out the procedure. It seemed like hours, but William wasn’t truly sure how long he stood in that corner. What was done was done, and he, just like always, had been powerless to stop it. 

* * *

Vanny was silent in the back seat of the car, clearly sick as Luis drove them home. The man was in high spirits, and Vanny had been silent; excellent company, if Luis did say so himself.

William sat right next to Vanny, silent, and concerned. Luis couldn’t hear him, but Vanny hadn’t replied to a single word he’d said since the procedure was done. She seemed tired and sick; William didn’t imagine she felt well. What she needed was peace and quiet, William assumed. Vanny wasn’t feeling well, but he knew that when she felt a little better, she would feel better for good. The doctors had assured Luis that the procedure was a success, and that Vanny would be a wonderful, respectful, happy little wife. Will was trying to look on the bright side of things; maybe Luis would be a little more caring now that Vanny wouldn’t suffer from occasional breakdowns and depression. Maybe, just maybe, he would let her have that tulip garden for being a good, cooperative person… That was a lie. She hadn’t been that cooperative, but Luis wasn’t going to harm her after an operation like this. That eased William’s mind a little.

Vanny was going to get better, and her life was going to improve.

\--

  
  


Three days was much too long to still be acting ill, William decided with dread.

Vanny was still acting off, and it scared him. Luis hadn’t been mad at her for it, even  _ he  _ knew that she needed time to recover, but William wasn’t so sure that this had been for the better anymore. Vanny had barely spoken to Luis, replying in short sentences and simple words. She seemed groggy; as if she was permanently half asleep. Luis left for work finally, leaving Vanny unsupervised. William was here to watch over here, but Luis didn’t know that. No sooner than Luis had left, William was settling down on the floor in front of the couch where Vanny sat. Her face was bruised from the procedure; leaving her with two, horrible black eyes. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but William only felt pity for her.

“Feeling any better?” He asked in a soft voice. He hadn’t spoken to her at all after they had arrived back home; he didn’t want Luis overhearing her talking to herself.

Vanny blinked, looked down at him, and remained silent. Constance was sleeping in her lap, and her hands gently held onto the cat’s sides.

William sat, waiting for a reply for some time before speaking again.

“Ness?” He called out. Vanny was staring directly at him, but she wasn’t speaking. 

“Vanny?” The rabbit uttered, concern evident on his face.

“....What?” Vanny finally managed. Her voice was weak from not speaking much throughout the past few days, but William swore there was a sadness to it.

“Are you okay?” He asked in a soft tone. Vanny blinked, curled her fingers into Constance’s fur, and smiled. She took an uncomfortable amount of time to respond, making Will wince.

“Yes. I’m all right.” She decided with a small nod. “You’re still here.” She added as her gaze drifted down to the cat in her lap. William nodded.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He assured her as his brows knitted up in confusion.

Something about her seemed robotic; her voice drawled on as if she was thinking about her words very carefully as they came out. She seemed distant as if a fog was clouding her thoughts. “You’re… not acting normal, Ness.” William informed her with a wince. Did she know that she was acting strange? Surely she knew something was amiss. 

The woman stared down at Constance, then shrugged. “I’m me.” She stated flatly. 

“But are you alright?” William prodded gently. He watched as she stared down at the cat, unsure of what to make of her behavior.

“.....I think…” Vanny’s smile fell. “You won’t leave.” She stated. “So, I am all right…”

William watched as she pet the cat with shaky, unsteady hands. Would she ever return to normal? This was far from the Vanny he knew. She wasn’t telling him about flowers or new recipes for baking; she wasn’t speaking about cute dresses she saw or songs she wanted to sing with him. She seemed permanently exhausted, and it scared the rabbit to death.

“Do you still… like me?” She questioned, not bothering to look up at the rabbit. William nodded without hesitation. “Of course. We’re always going to be friends, remember? You made me promise that. Don’t you remember?” 

Vanny pet Constance with a blank expression. She didn’t reply for a while, and William repeated the question. “Do you remember that, Vanny?” 

Slowly, Vanny looked up at the rabbit. A gentle smile blossomed on her face, and she nodded.

“I do.” She hummed. William fought back his emotions, and offered her an uneasy smile, hiding his sadness behind a fake grin. “Good.” He hissed out in a shaky voice. Constance shifted around on Vanny’s lap, and she returned her gaze to the animal.

“Does Luis love me now?” She questioned. William swallowed thickly.

“ _ I’m… _ ” He didn’t want to lie to her, so as he fell silent, she looked up at him with a confused expression. What was the matter with him? Vanny’s smile fell as she noticed the sadness in his pretty purple eyes.

“It’s okay, Will. He doesn’t have to…. I know he doesn’t.” 

William sat on the floor, staring at the carpet beneath him as Vanny continued stroking the cat.


End file.
